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BELLEFONTE -- For children and youth in Centre County, having an additional caring adult in their lives is crucial.
Various members of the Big Brother, Big Sister program leadership team attended a recent Centre County Commissioners meeting to talk about their program and how crucial it is to the county.
Rebecca Lord, program director, spoke about the benefit of an additional adult in a child's life to give them guidance.
"Our children and youth need this program," she said. "They need an additional caring adult in their lives who will help them navigate life, look out for them and their futures, introduce them to new experiences and just have a lot of fun with them and be a safe person for them."
Volunteer mentors are all unique -- from high school students to college students or retirees, and everything in between.
Lord pointed out that their case managers are expert matchmakers.
"They do an amazing job of supporting our kids and families, as well as coaching, encouraging and supporting our volunteer mentors, all while doing their best to ensure child safety," said Lord.
To drive home the importance of the program, Lord told a few stories of how lives have changed thanks to Big Brother Big Sister connections.
The first story she told was about a high school student who has learning disabilities; her big and case manager were concerned about her post-graduation plans, so they met with her special education teacher and the career center to discuss what would work best for her after high school. With the help of her big, the student completed an application, wrote an essay and was accepted into the career center so she can learn skills that will help her after high school.
Another story Lord told was about a selectively mute kindergarten student who was only comfortable speaking to a few people. His big and the case manager discovered that he really enjoyed the game Minecraft, and at the next meeting his big surprised him with a cardboard pickaxe. The student apparently lit up after seeing the gift, and had a lot of fun playing with it at the meeting -- inviting others in to interact with him and enabling him to express himself in a comfortable way.
"That's just a small sampling of the many children and youth in our program and community who have benefitted from YSB's Big Brother Big Sister Program," said Lord.
Chief Executive Officer, Christine Bishop, noted that they are always looking for more Big Brothers and Big Sisters for their program.
"We are in need of more mentors right now. We have around 30 youth that are waiting and ready to be matched with their big. ...Those immediate needs of having someone to talk to and share with (can be met, but) also longer term needs because they know they have someone supporting them and that can really help them flourish and get off on the right foot," said Bishop.
All month long, there will be info sessions at ccysb.com to learn about what the next steps are for being a Big Brother Big Sister. They especially need male mentors, as the majority of the youths waiting to be paired up are typically males.
Theresa Kieffer, Vice President of Programs, and Ashley Phelan, one of three Case Managers, were also in attendance.
Commissioners Chair Mark Higgins commented on the significant difference bigs make in their little's lives.
"Not just from a personal standpoint but the reduction in truancy, in getting into fights, in continuing their education. They make a big difference," said Higgins.
"Hopefully folks in the community will consider getting involved. I've personally known a few people who have served as mentors and the impact that it's had on their lives as well as the lives of the kids they work with. It's a program that can really make a significant difference for some of the more vulnerable kids in our community," said Commissioner Amber Concepcion.
Commissioner Steven Dershem emphasized the importance of family to a child.
"A lot of folks do not have that as a luxury as many of us did. To be able to look at an organization that kind of fills those gaps and provides that leadership and mentorship and general guidance -- lifes a tough thing, particularly when you get into the early teen years -- it's amazing what a difference that can make. Throughout the course of many years (your organization) has been making that difference," said Dershem.
The commissioners proclaimed January as Big Brothers Big Sisters month in Centre County, their first proclamation of 2024.